Nonproliferation News - October 15, 2009

FISSILE MATERIAL
US says level of unity on NKorea near 'unprecedented'
AFP

House allows states to sell funds linked to Iran
AP by Jim Abrams

Some See Iran as Ready for Nuclear Deal
NYT by Michael Slackman

China's Hard Choices on Iran
World Politics Review by Jon B. Alterman

EAST ASIA
1. China Lauds Ties With Iran
WSJ by Shai Oster
China praised its growing energy and trade ties with Iran in remarks that further diminished hopes that China will support efforts by the U.S. and its allies to line up sanctions over Iran's nuclear program.

2. NKorea sees peace pact with US as key to disarmament
AFP
North Korea called Wednesday for a peace pact with the United States, saying this was a "most reasonable and practical" way to end the long standoff over its nuclear weapons programme.

3. US says level of unity on NKorea near 'unprecedented'
AFP
The United States said Wednesday coordination between the five nations trying to get North Korea back to negotiations aimed at ending its nuclear programmes was better than ever.

MIDDLE EAST
4. House allows states to sell funds linked to Iran
AP by Jim Abrams
The House on Wednesday sent a message to Iran that pursuit of nuclear capability will not go unpunished, approving legislation that allows state and local governments to curtail investments in international corporations doing business in Iran's energy sector.

5. Congress moves to crank up the pressure on Iran
Foreign Policy (The Cable) by Josh Rogin
Now that the House has passed Barney Frank's Iran divestment bill, the attention turns to the Senate, where Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback is working to advance his companion measure.

6. Some See Iran as Ready for Nuclear Deal
NYT by Michael Slackman
Iran says it has no plans to build nuclear weapons. Western nations say they do not believe Iran and periodically release intelligence reports that they say prove Iran has been working on building a bomb.

SOUTH ASIA

RUSSIA/FSU
7. China and Russia sign missile notification pact
Reuters
China and Russia signed a pact to notify each other of ballistic missile launch plans during Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit this week to Beijing, Chinese media said on Wednesday.

8. Russia's Putin warns against intimidating Iran
Reuters by Darya Korsunskaya
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned major powers on Wednesday against intimidating Iran and said talk of sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear programme was "premature".

9. Clinton Calls for Joint Missile-Defense System on Russia Trip
Bloomberg
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wrapping up a three-day trip to Russia, said the U.S. and Russia should work toward creating a joint missile-defense system to combat common threats.

10. Russia and U.S realize interdependency between anti-missile defense system and START: experts
Trend News Agency
Despite a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty does not include anti-missile defense system, Russia and the USA realize interdependency of these problems, experts said.

EUROPE

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
11. IAEA experts checking Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant
Kyiv Post by Interfax-Ukraine
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on October 13 started inspections at the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant, the information center of the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant has reported.

MISCELLANEOUS

OPINION
12. Cripple Iran to save it
LA Times by John P. Hannah
If current negotiations falter, international efforts to curtail Iran's nuclear program may escalate to the imposition of "crippling sanctions" or even the use of military force. Sanctions would likely help the opposition, but military force is a tougher call.

13. How to Engage Iran
WP
SHIRIN EBADI, a 62-year-old Iranian lawyer who won the Nobel Peace Prize six years ago says paying so much more attention to Iran's nuclear ambitions than to its trampling of democracy and freedom is a mistake both tactical and moral.

14. Getting tougher on Iran
Philadelphia Inquirer by Bob Casey and Sam Brownback
Whatever one thinks about the prospects of diplomacy with Iran, it's time for tougher measures to constrain the regime's ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction before it's too late. One promising approach is targeted divestment from Iran's energy sector.

15. Analysis: US, Russians divided on how to push Iran
AP by Robert Burns
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's failure to win Russian support for tougher talk on Iran exposed a divide between the two powers on how best to push Iran into accepting limits on its nuclear ambitions.

16. China's Hard Choices on Iran
World Politics Review by Jon B. Alterman
On Iran, China increasingly seems to be the odd man out. China has tough decisions with Iran because they rely on U.S. to protect oil shipments from the Persian Gulf, but benefit economically from trade with Iran.  China’s rising influence will make its diplomatic decisions relating to Iran important.